If you have used a Mac for any length of time then the chances are that you have had compatibility issues at some point. You may well have been unable to use certain programs or access some websites. To some extent such problems still exist today, but many applications are either Mac compatible or have a specific Mac version. This is certainly true when it comes to online poker.
It wasn’t that long ago that Mac users would find it very difficult to play poker online as there just weren’t that many compatible sites out there. You would have been very limited in the sites that you could use or would have to resort to using emulators or other software to play at the sites you wanted to.
It is not really so much of a problem anymore though. There are a few places that don’t yet cater for the Mac market, but there are plenty that do. Playing online poker from a Mac is no longer a challenge and most of the leading sites are now Mac compatible. The only slight downside to having so much choice is that now it can be difficult to decide where to play. We can help you with this though, as we have researched a large number of sites and ranked them according to what they have to offer. The following is a list of the best Mac poker sites around.
Instant Play Poker vs Downloading Software
Most poker sites offer one of two ways of playing poker online, although at some places you have the choice of both. These are instant play poker and using downloadable software. Instant play poker is accessible directly through your web browser and you do not need to download any software. You just need to sign up for an account, deposit some funds and you can open up the games right away. Instant play poker does have its advantages, and this is how most sites first started to cater for Mac users, but we would suggest that using downloadable software is generally the better option.
There are several Mac poker sites that offer a version of their software client specifically designed for Mac users. The reason we feel this is the best option is that we have found that downloaded software provides a better overall playing experience than playing in your browser. Most of the differences are not really that huge, but the games do tend to run that much more smoothly. The graphics are usually better too and typically you will have more options for customizing things like layout and the way the tables look. The features available in instant play poker also tend to be somewhat limited when compared to downloaded software.
Ranking Mac Poker Sites
We have ranked the sites in the above list based on several different factors. By looking closely at what a large number of Mac compatible poker sites have to offer we have been able to determine which ones are the best places to play at. We are very confident that, whichever of these sites you choose to join, you will have a very positive experience. The sites that we have listed here are all reputable and trustworthy, and have a good track record for looking after their customers.
Some of the more important factors that we take into consideration when ranking these sites include the deposit options available, the variety of games available, the range of stakes, the number of active players, the sign up bonus and other promotions, and the standard of the customer service. A poker room must perform well in all these areas if it is to make our list of recommendations, as we believe they are all essential when it comes to providing a top quality service to online poker players.